Project Advances

Officials Like Idea For Physician Office Buildings But Seek To Tweak Site Plan

June 05, 2004|By MARK PUKALO; Courant Staff Writer

SOUTHINGTON — Town officials like the idea that Bradley Memorial Hospital officials plan to build two physician office buildings at 209 Main St.

But the site plan for the project needs revisions, before the planning and zoning commission can approve it.

Several commissioners and town engineer Anthony Tranquillo are concerned that the planned entrance and exit at Eden Avenue and Main Street would cause severe traffic problems.

``I'm sure this is going to be a very successful operation, which is great for Southington,'' Vice Chairman Zaya Oshana Jr. said. ``I just think it might not be so great for the townspeople trying to get in and out on Main Street.''

Bradley officials determined this was the best spot for the entrance and exit of the buildings, which could provide office suites for eight physicians, most of them specialists.

Tranquillo said he'd wanted to further examine the study done by traffic engineer William A. Vliet, as he says the new medical buildings will compound already miserable traffic in those streets.

``Eden Avenue is a disaster now,'' Tranquillo said.

Vliet said traffic created by the buildings would not disrupt the continuity of weekday peak-hour and daily flows on the Main Street area. People using new buildings shouldn't affect morning rush-hour traffic because most medical offices don't open until after 9 a.m., he said.

``There's just going to be time when you're sitting on the driveway,'' Vliet said, ``waiting for a gap to be created.''

The plan was tabled for further study. Commissioners seemed unified in looking at other ideas to move the entrance and exit, although Bradley officials stressed that a steep grade made other possibilities a problem.

Commissioner John Carmody also brought up the idea of a one-way exit, so those leaving the buildings would not have to cross traffic.

Lawrence Alberti, chairman of the Bradley Building and Grounds Committee and a member of the hospital's board of directors, said the idea of the physician buildings has been in the works for a long time. The property combines five smaller parcels into one. The office buildings would total 30,000 square feet and cost more than $2 million.